A former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, on Saturday said he retired from seeking political offices because he overworked himself while he was the governor of the state.
Premium Times reports that Ladoja, who is now the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland was the state governor between 2003 and 2007 under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was impeached in January 2006, but reinstated in December that year.
The former governor said the need to rest, attend to family demands made him retire from seeking elective positions, because, “the situation at hand, now, deserves the need to rest.”
Ladoja, while speaking with journalists in Ighoho, headquarters of Oorelope Local Government Area, recounted his journey from Accord Party to the African Democratic Congress and then to Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
He insisted that candidates’ selection procedure made him to leave the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He reiterated that the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state was not free and fair, leading to the suit his party filed at the election tribunal.
Ladoja while speaking said, “We have done what we could do, but I have said I won’t be vying for any office again.
“I almost neglected my family when I was in government because I gave my all to ensure good governance.
Ladoja, who is now a chieftain of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), added that he can only counsel the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli and not that he will be dictating to him if he (Alli) becomes the governor in May.
“I will only counsel Sarafadeen Alli when he becomes governor. I can’t run his government for him. He would be the one to receive praises or insults, so he will do well to heed to good counsels”.
The former governor lamented that he was just an edifice without influence when he was in ADC.
“They started doing things they didn’t tell us before we joined the party. They didn’t tell us that some persons will be given automatic ticket.
“We questioned the integrity of those they wanted to give automatic ticket. What is the assurance that people will vote for them. When we saw that we couldn’t persuade them to do the right thing, we decided to leave the party because we aren’t sure of its future”.
